Tsunayoshi Sawada's Strange Uncle
by TheAnimeWriterLover
Summary: At the age of 4, Tsuna's mother divorced his father. At the age of 5, Tsuna's mother got caught with a deadly illness. At the age of 6, Tsuna's mother died. It's only logical for Tsuna to be with his father, right? No, instead he goes to live with his Uncle Ichigo. At the age of 13, Reborn appears. How different is the tenth going to be after being raised by Ichigo? Find out!
1. Chapter 1

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At the age of 4, little Tsuna heard, from his bedroom, his mother shout at the strange man downstairs. It was the first time that he heard her use that sort of a tone on anybody. The stranger thing was that the man only man appeared earlier that day. The child wasn't sure what he has done to make her so mad, but he might have an idea. He had tried to play with Tsuna, but the child was so scared and unfamiliar with the guy that he always ended up crying. His mother would show up, pick him up and comfort him. Was it maybe she was mad at the man for scaring him? It was a possibility.

Even though he was four years old, and didn't understand what was going on, it didn't mean that he was stupid to think that everything was just fine. Something inside his guts told him that he should be bothered by what's occurring downstairs. Bothered with the negative feeling, and the shouting, little Tsuna got out of the comfort of his bed. He struggled to get down without tripping, or be stopped by the object that always helped prevent him from falling off the bed while he slept away. Finally, he managed to achieve his goal. He tipped toed onto the cold wooden floor towards the door. His big innocent brown eyes looked up at the handle of the door. It was far too tall for him. A frown appeared on his cute toddler face.

He decided to put his ear against the doorway, in hope that he could hear through it just as well as when he hides in the closet, whenever he played hide and seek with his mother. Just as he thought, it worked. He could hear his mother shouting:

"I'm sick of this Iemitsu! When I married you, you promised me that we would live happily and have a good family! Instead, you just up and left me on our _honeymoon_ and didn't return until a year later! Then you appeared out of nowhere and got me pregnant. I was so happy to think that I was about to become a mother, and the thought that Tsu-kun would bring us closer together made me even happier. Although, it seems that I was wrong."

"N-N-Nana please, y-y-you have to understand that-"

The man, from earlier, started in a pleading manner.

"Oh! I understand completely! I perfectly understand that my so called _husband _is involved with the _mafia_!"

A snarl was put in the end. A stun silent was felt in the air. Tsuna frowned deeply, his eyebrows slowly formed into one with a deep thought. What was a mafia? Why did she call him a husband? Was he his father? He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the man said in a panic and pathetic manner:

"Nana, l-love, I think you need some rest." He laughed nervously, "I don't know where you got such of an idea from."

A loud slap was heard right after he finished the sentence. Tsuna winced at the sound. His tiny heart started to beat faster and faster. What was going on down there exactly?

"Don't you _dare_ lie to me, you pathetic excuse of a husband! I know everything about your _little_ job. How else would you explain the letters with a flame on the top of them and with information that only mafia people would send around? How else would you explain the many guns that I and even your _son_ found and almost got him killed with because of them? If you forgot, my brother knows people from high above." A gasp was heard from the man. "Oh yes, _nothing_ could go pass them without their detection. After I found the guns and letters, I had my brother go get more information on you, and guess how shocked I was to find out that my husband was a part of the mafia and had planned to get our _son_ involved with it in his teens!"

"N-Nana, please y-you have to hear me out!"

"No, I had enough of this! I already got the divorce papers and filled my parts out. I want you to fill yours and give them to me by tomorrow afternoon. After that, I want you leave and never to return or come into contact with either Tsu-kun or me for the rest of your life. Don't bother going to the courts about gaining custody over Tsu-kun, because I know every dirty little thing about you that could go as far as putting you into prison. I'm sure that my brother and sister would be more than pleased to help me, and you know how they are."

Tsuna didn't know why, but he felt huge sadness and anger in the air. The anger was obvious enough, but the sadness he swore came from the two people downstairs. Even though his mother was angry, she seemed so sad at the same time. Even the stranger's voice seemed to crack from time to time, as if he was sobbing his heart out. Tsuna didn't notice the tears that went down his chubby cheeks, which seems to only grow more and more when he heard the next part from his mother.

"I thought we had something together. Maybe we did one day, but it disappeared somewhere down the line. The only thing that I don't regret from this relationship is Tsu-kun. I'm glad that I have him. He's the sweetest child that I have ever had the pleasure to meet, and even am honored to raise as my son. I don't need you, so you might as well leave."

With that, footsteps were heard marching out of the building with the door slam right behind.

Tsuna, slowly, walked back to his bed. He did his best to crawl back into it, and succeeded. He pulled the blanket on top of him, and snuggled into them. The tears were long gone, replaced with puffy red eyes and wet cheeks. He still didn't understand what was going on downstairs, but whatever it was made him share the emotions that his mother and the stranger strongly felt at the time. It hurt, it really did, and he wasn't sure how his tiny heart could handle it. It didn't take long before he fell asleep. His dreams were filled with a shadowy figure comforting him with another blank individual, about his height, stand beside him and simply talk to him.

Not once, has he thought that these figures were going to be very important individuals in his life.


	2. Chapter 2

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It has been a whole two years since him, 6 years old Tsuna, has last seen the strange man. It has been a rather eventful two years as well. The duo moved out of Namimori and right into Karakura town. The child got to meet his mother's family, whom he has a lot of fun being around with. There's granddad Isshin, who always acts so funny and plays with him whenever he asks. Then there's his Uncle Ichigo, his mother's twin older brother. The man was always kind to him, and even taught him how to read and write a bit. Finally, there's Aunt Karin and Aunt Yuzu. He always played with Aunt Karin soccer, and it was a lot of fun but frustrating at the same time. She wouldn't let him get the ball no matter what, which got him to force to use some tricks and his mind to finally get it away from her. Although, from what he was told, he has a long way to go, but it didn't mean that he didn't have a good start. Then Aunt Yuzu, who, along with his mother, always made him yummy food that made his stomach full rather quickly.

The funny thing about this town, unlike back home, is his Uncle Ichigo's friends. All of them are different than the last, but nonetheless they are unique in their own ways. He met them a few times, and by the end of each meeting he always couldn't wait to see them again.

Unfortunately, Tsuna's mother got really sick, to the point that she had to stay at the hospital. She promised him that she would get better soon, and in the beginning it really seemed so. Although, the more time passed by, the worst her illness became. That's why she was at the hospital to begin with. Of course, Tsuna's 5 years old mind didn't get that at the time, even now. The only thing that he understood was that she was sick and that's that.

Right now, Tsuna sat on a chair next to his mother's hospital bed. He showed her all the different drawings that he did. He continued to babble away without a sign of stopping. His mother looked and listened to him with tiredness, but didn't seem to mind it one bit that he was there. She listened to him as he picked up one drawing and babbled:

"These are my friends!" He showed her two, slightly, unfocused figures. "This one's name is Honō no arashi(1)" He pointed at the tall figure, "This one's name is Sora (2)" He pointed at the short figure. "They're my friends from my dreams!"

Nana's brown eyes narrowed slightly at what she saw and heard. The first thought that went through her mind, was that her son saw his Zanpakuto and Hollow spirits. Still, it didn't seem to make much sense, when she thought about it. Tsuna was far too young to be able to meet them, even if they're there to begin with. Maybe they're just his imaginary friends, yes that seems about right. Nana relaxed. The last thing she wanted was for her son to be trained in something so dangerous so early on. No, she wouldn't be surprised if he had a Zanpakuto to begin with. After all, her family was filled with Quincy's, Shinigami's and humans with special powers to see the dead. She was just like her brother, a substitute shinigami. Even if she quit being one after the war against Aizen, it didn't mean that he didn't have a Zanpakuto.

Nana smiled and said:

"Ah? Is that so? Are they good friends?"

"Mhm!" Tsuna hummed and hugged the picture to his chest. His feet kicked the air as he continued to say, "Both of them are nice. Well, Sora can be a mean sometimes, but he means well."

The two were interrupted when they heard the door open. They looked towards the doorway to see Tsuna's uncle, Ichigo. The man gave a small smile towards the both of them. He said:

"Tsuna, it's time to go."

"Aw, I don't want to. I want to stay with mama."

Tsuna protested with an adorable pout in the end. The man shook his head slightly with a sigh. He said:

"You're going to see her tomorrow. She's not going anywhere."

The child pouted even more. He mumbled _fine_ and gathered his pictures. It didn't take long before he finished putting them all in his small box. Tsuna gathered the box into his arms, said farewell to his mother with a promise to come tomorrow, and left with his uncle.

-ooOOoo-

Isshin walked into the room right after his son and grandson left. He looked down at his daughter with a sad expression. He asked her:

"How are you doing?"

"I don't know," She started. Her voice sounded much weaker than just a moment ago, when she talked with Tsuna. Her brown eyes slowly looked over to her father. "I'm afraid that I won't survive by tomorrow."

"Don't say that!" Isshin almost shouted. First his wife died and now his daughter, it was too much. He sat down in the unoccupied chair and asked, "What about Tsuna? You can't leave him behind. He needs you more than anybody."

Nana sighed sadly. She shook her head slightly and replied:

"I made a Will that said he's going to live with his uncle. I also talked with big brother, and he agreed that he's going to take him in if I don't survive." Her heart monitor showed her heart start to slow down. Isshin's eyes narrowed and went into a panic mode. He was about to get up to get a doctor, since he didn't work in this hospital, but his arm was grabbed. He looked down at his daughter. A sad smile was on her face, "I'm going to be alright, dad. I'm going to Soul Society after all. I'm going to be safe there."

"Nana..."

He whispered with a broken tone.

"Dad, I love you. I love my siblings and my son. I couldn't wish for a better family, even when you people are crazy." She gave him a small amused smile and Isshin shared it with her. "Even if this life was short and adventurous, I'm going into the next one. It's not so bad when you think about it. After all, I've been there."

Isshin chuckled softly with a heartbroken tone. He gave her a gentle hug, so to not bring her further pain. She hugged him as hard as she could, which wasn't much. The two pulled away and murmured their farewell. The old man watched as his daughter close her eyes and takes her last breath before she was gone. He looked up to see her spirit, who gave him a small smile before disappearing.

Isshin kissed her forehead for the last time and he left.

**(1) Storm of Flame**

**(2) Sky**


	3. Chapter 3

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Tsuna, at the age of 13, stood in front of his mother's grave. His brown eyes stared at them with an unreadable expression. In his right hand was a bouquet of Lily's. He kneeled down and gently laid them on top of the grave. It has been 7 and half years since that day, when she died. During that time, he had no idea what was going on. Everybody was so sad around him, as if they have lost something so precious to them. He was told that she was asleep, and would never wake up again. Of course, he, being the naive child he was, tried to wake her up. He told her that it wasn't bed time yet.

It didn't take much longer until he realized the truth.

His mother was dead.

During that time, Tsuna has lost, for the first time, somebody precious to him. He swore, since that day, that he would never let something like that happen ever again. Of course, he knew that he couldn't protect everybody at all time, especially from an illness, but he wanted to do his best. He knew little to nothing about any sort of training. The only thing he actually tried to understand was the strange sword that Hono gave to him. It wasn't until he saw his uncle fighting a Hollow, that he was introduced to the world, that his family is a part of, for the first time.

It was then that his uncle, Ichigo, took over his training. Thanks to the training that he gained, Tsuna grew stronger and stronger every day. It was to the point, that he was almost at the same level that his uncle has been, when he was a teen during the war against Aizen. The training also got the adolescent to stand at the height of 5' 9''. He had slight muscles, but it was slightly hard to see due to his slightly baggy clothes that he always seems to wear. There was a downside to it though. Most people mistake him to be 16 years old. So, he usually found getting into fights with the teachers since they never believe him to be a middle school child in the beginning of the term. Although, he was quite proud of himself to be this tall at his age, because he always has used it to his advantage, for example, saving some kids from bullies.

The said children jumped onto his back. Tsuna yelped and landed onto his face into the ground.

"Oops! I think we overdid it big brother."

A female voice said in an innocent manner. A _tch_ was heard from the other.

"It's his fault for being caught off guard."

Tsuna's eyebrow twitched with annoyance. A vain started to form.

"B-Big brother, don't be so mean!"

The female scolded the other.

"Aiko, Takao, don't tell me you attacked your cousin again." A voice shouted in the distance. Tsuna recognized it right away. The voice belongs to his uncle. Footsteps were heard coming closer and closer. Tsuna got up with ease. He felt four arms were wrapped around his neck, with a weight on his back. He didn't really mind it though. He looked towards his uncle to see him shaking his head with his Aunt Orihime walking right beside him. A worried look from her was sent to his direction. The two finally got to them. His uncle said, "Well, what do you two have to say to your cousin?"

"Sorry Tsuna"

The twins, Aiko and Takao, echoed at the same time with boredom. Tsuna waved off their apology, because it wasn't needed since they do this all the time. He asked his uncle and father figure:

"Uncle Ichigo, Aunt Orihime, what are you guys doing here?"

"We were worried about you." His aunt admitted. Not once the worried look has left her face. "You just left right after breakfast and it's getting late."

"It is?" Tsuna asked in confusion. He looked up at the sky to see that, in fact, it has gotten late. The sun was already setting off into the distance. _I thought I was out here for only an hour,_ he thought. His uncle looked at him with understanding in his brown eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't notice the time."

"Idiot, you can't even tell what time it is."

Takao said with a smirk. He looked almost like a mini Ichigo, except with grey eyes. Meanwhile, his sister was the exact opposite. She has her mother's looks but her father's eyes. Both of them are 5 years old, but are very intelligent and strong for their ages. None of the friends of Ichigo's understood why that was, but they were suspicious that it had to do with their father being a doctor and one of the strongest people they've ever met. Yeah, that sounded about right, in their minds. Aiko looked over at her brother with disapproval and said:

"You're taking it too far, again."

"Your sister is right Takao. You have to know when enough is enough."

Their father started. Orihime said to her children:

"Come on you two. Get off of Tsuna-kun."

The twins pouted but did so anyways. Tsuna sighed softly. He gave a small smile and ruffled his cousins' hair. Both of them protested at the action in a childish manner. When he finished he watched as the children ran over to their mother, who smiled down at them and fixed their hair. The teen continued to give a soft smile. Even though they were brats, they were his and he wouldn't have it any other way.

A hand rested on top of his shoulder. Tsuna looked beside him to see his uncle. Ichigo gestured for his nephew to follow him. The brown headed teen nodded and left with him.

The duo walked around the graveyard. Neither of the two spoke for a bit. It wasn't until Ichigo broke the silence that Tsuna was snapped out of his thoughts.

"I know how you feel. I've been there, and still am."

"What do you mean Uncle Ichigo?"

Tsuna asked with confusion. The man looked over at him with a sad pair of eyes. He started to explain:

"My mother died when your mom and I were about 6." The younger pair of eyes widened in shock. The teen never knew that. He always has believed that she died not that long ago, before he was even born, but to that point? Wow, just... he wasn't sure what to think really. He decided to just listen. "Your grandmother didn't die by an illness like Nana. She was killed by a Hollow." The shorter of the two stared at the other with shock. "Your mother and I have been there when she was killed. Ever since that day, I never forgave myself. I decided that I needed to become stronger, to prevent something like that from happening ever again. It wasn't until my teens that I've realized something." Ichigo stared down at Tsuna. His eyes held nothing but understanding. "No matter how long ago it has been, my mother would have wanted me to be happy and not mourn over her death. Nana is the same."

"Y-You really think so?"

"I know so. Come on, held your head up high and let's head back. I'm sure your aunt and cousins are starting to get worried."

Tsuna nodded. He gave a smile and said:

"Thank you"

Ichigo patted his nephew's shoulder in responds. With that, the two turned around to leave.

-ooOOoo-

A small figure watched the duo in silence. He said to mostly himself:

"So, this is the kid Ninth talked about. Now, I'm interested."


	4. Chapter 4

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It was late, one night. The children were asleep with pleasant dreams, except one, Tsuna. Tsuna opened his left eyes half way in a sleepy manner. He looked over to the clock on the wall next to his bed, and saw that it was midnight. Not understanding why he even woke up, the teen tried to head back to sleep. Turning onto his other side, facing the wall, he snuggled under the blanket and tried to sleep. Half way through, he was woken up by loud talking downstairs. An annoyed groan came from the 13 years old. _What's going on?_ He thought with irritation.

Tsuna tried to ignore the talking, but it didn't help. He tried to think of other things, to distract himself, but when he heard his name his eyes snapped open. Sitting up and turning towards the door, the brown headed adolescent quietly got out of bed then headed towards the door. It felt like déjà vu, only this time it was his uncle and not his parents.

Opening the door quietly, Tsuna walked down the staircase as quiet as a mouse and kept his spiritual energy very low. Stopping halfway through the staircase, he listened in on the conversation.

"I _knew_ that man was nothing but trouble! Nana should have listened to us when we said that he was trouble."

His uncle growled with anger. A sigh was heard afterwards, accompanied by his aunt saying calmly:

"Ichigo, you can't possibly blame Tsuna-kun for-"

"I'm _not_ blaming Tsuna, but that idiotic father of his. He was told not to make the kid the heir, but did he listen? _No!_ Now, Tsuna is going to be forced into this sick game of theirs." A slap of something hitting against another object was heard, "I don't approve of this, and I'm not having this... this _tutor_ live here."

There was thick silence hanging in the air. A deep sigh left his uncle, who sounded exhausted by the tone of his voice.

"Why? Why don't they just leave our family alone? Can't they respect something such as a woman's dying wish? Tsuna doesn't deserve this. He has such potential and a bright future ahead of him. He can achieve his dream in being a Psychologist. He-He..."

"Ichigo..."

Aunt Orihime whispered sadly. Tsuna, at that point, sat on the staircase and simply continued to listen. The noise of a chair scratching the ground and footsteps were heard. The teen knew that his aunt was hugging his uncle at that point. Every time the man was stressed or exhausted she would hug and comfort him. Tsuna didn't hear what the gentle woman said, only what her husband's reply was.

"You're right, I just... he's all that's left from Nana. I just can't let the mafia take him away from us."

_Again, it's the damn mafia. Why does everybody talk about the mafia? First, it was mom and the bastard, now my aunt and uncle? What's going on here? What does it have to do with me?_ Tsuna thought with confusion and stress. He just couldn't fathom what was going on. Should he walk up to them and ask? Should he just wait? Should he just take the situation into his own hands?

"I just wish Nana never met the bastard. I would have rather her date one of the Espada's."

"Ichigo!" Aunt Orihime gasped in shock, "You can't possibly mean that!"

"I do, or at least someone _other _than that_ damn bastard!_ He has done nothing but brought pain to our family!" Once more, chair scratching the floor was heard but this time it was fast. "Damn that bastard, just damn him! If I ever see him again, screw Soul Society's laws, I'm going to murder him!"

Tsuna, at that point, decided on what to do. He got up, and went to where his family was. He had to get answers! Finally noticing their nephew's presence, the couple looked at him. His aunt looked surprised, while his uncle had a frown. The man asked without missing a beat:

"How much did you hear?"

The teen shuffled his feet under the look with nervousness. His uncle was _very_ serious, and when he goes into that mode, Tsuna learned, it is better not be on the end of the stick. The brown headed boy gulped quietly and said:

"M-My dad was n-n-nothing but trouble, a-and that m-mom shouldn't have got together with him."

Staring down at the nervous rack, the orange headed man sighed deeply. He sat down and gestured his nephew to take the seat on his left. The teen did just that, and brought his full attention to Uncle Ichigo. His aunt gave the duo a quiet good night and went to bed, knowing full well that the two needed some time alone. Thanking her in his mind, the older of the two asked seriously:

"What do you know about your father?"

"That he's a bastard?"

Tsuna replied with a shrug, which resulted in the other chuckling. Ichigo said:

"Other than that I meant." He received a shrug. "Your father works for the mafia. Not just any mafia, but the most powerful one there is, Vongola." Ignoring the shock on the younger's face, he continued, "During the time that your parents have met, we had no idea. What we did know, was that he was nothing but trouble. We tried to talk your mother out of marrying the guy, but she did in the end. It wasn't until you were born, when I was given information on the guy. Not only was he the head of a high place in the family, but he was the descended of the first head of Vongola. Since he refused being the Tenth, he had you be the heir in case the ninth's children won't make it. Unfortunately, from the recent information that a few friends of mine from Soul Society has given me, the three sons died recently, making you the next in line for the spot."

Tsuna tried to wrap his mind around the new information. A headache started to form. The teen rubbed his temples, in hope that it would get rid of the damn headache. Now he understood what the mafia had to do with his family. Finally, after it calmed down, the boy said slowly:

"Let me get this straight. The guy decided that it was a bright idea to make me the next boss for the most powerful mafia family out there. The three sons of the current head are all dead. Now, I'm being pressured into taking the spot... do you have any proof?"

Ichigo gave a small amused smile at the annoyed look. He waved his hand at a letter on the table, which the other grabbed roughly and read. A neutral look was shown on Tsuna's face the whole time. Finally, the teen laid the letter onto the table slowly, sighed softly and asked:

"There's no way out, is there?"

"Death is always an option."

An amused response was given. The younger of the two glared at the adult, showing how _funny_ he found the situation. It didn't take long before the scowl came back on his uncle's face. He asked:

"What do you want to do?"

Tsuna thought deeply about the options. After a few minutes, he said:

"I have no choice but to make the best out of the situation... Uncle Ichigo?"

"Hm?"

"When we see my _dear father_, let's give him a welcoming present that he will never forget."

Ichigo smirked darkly, his eyes turned a bit dark. He said with a bit of a hollow tone:

"My pleasure"

**A/N: Information about Tsuna's mother will be shown in later chapters, about why she hasn't come to visit after her death.**


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